Camera selection on S22/S22+

[requa]

This may be different on the Ultra but should be the same for the two lower models. I experimented on my S22 and confirmed the standard Photo setting uses the UW camera at the .6 setting as expected and the main camera at the 1 setting, but continues using the main camera at the 3 setting (applying a digital zoom presumably) all the way up to 10x, when it switches to the telephoto camera. Pro mode allows me to choose the telephoto camera starting at 3x up to 12x. Is there any way to dictate which camera is used in Photo mode other than by zooming, or any way to set the camera app to default to Pro mode? I'd prefer to avoid digital zoom as much as I can. I do have Expert Raw installed also but don't really use it. 

Thanks

[requa]

I found a partial answer in the option to start Camera in the last used mode. I'm still curious about the actual camera selection though.

[DarkPhox]

Why would you not want to use optical zoom? That will give more clarity when zoomed in. Or are you meaning digital zoom?

The S22U has practically the same cameras as the S21U. So how I believe it works is anything between 0.6 and 0.9 uses the ultra wide, 1 to 2.9 uses the main lense (unless your taking macro shots at 1× which will use the ultra-wide), 3 to 9.9 uses the telephoto lense, and anything beyond 10 uses the "super" telephoto lense (although sometimes it will use the normal telephoto lense at 10× if the lighting isnt correct or you're too close to be able to use the super telephoto lense). This is how it works on my S21U

Might be different on the lower models but pro mode on my S21U allows me to select which of the 4 lenses I want to use and can still zoom in (digitally) with those lenses

[requa]

Sorry, that was my brain cramp. Yes, I meant avoid digital zoom in favor of optical. I edited the top post to avoid confusing anyone else.

[DarkPhox]

Other then pro mode I don't think your going to be able to exactly dictate which camera the phone uses unless you go to 3× then it will switch to the telephoto lense on the normal photo mode. Your device only has 3× optical zoom and the rest will always be a digital hybrid zoom

[requa]

But this is precisely what I am not seeing. At 3x, 4x, 9.9x, Photo mode is still using the main wide camer with digital zoom applied. It does not switch to the telephoto camera until I zoom to 10.0x. I took test shots at 6x in Photo and Pro (JPEG only) to compare, and confirmed clearer image in the Pro shot using the telephoto camera. I guess I'll use Pro mode, but it would be much simpler if I could just set Photo mode to switch to the telephoto camera at 3x instead of at 10x.

[DarkPhox · Accepted solution]

Photo mode gets very wonky with which lenses it uses, it was the same with my S20 and previous Note 20 where it wouldn't always use the same lenses when zoomed into certain distances. Think it all depends on lighting and such too, and what image from the lenses the phone thinks is the most clear. The main lense on the S22 is a 50 megapixel lense so it does have some room to crop in which I believe is what is happening, although not ideal this is the route the phone seems to be taking before switching over to the telephoto lense once it runs out of digital zoom on the main lense

[requa]

Thanks for your input on this, @DarkPhox . At least I know it's not my imagination, and I have the Pro option. I set it to Pro and to use the last used mode, but turned the Pro settings mostly to auto and Raw off. In my usage, if I want better images I'll use my "real" camera, but at least I can improve this one within its own limitations.

[DarkPhox]

No problem! 😊

[andrewpfunk]

I have the same question. Video mode lets me select 0.6, 1x, 3x. Why can't photo mode do that too? I know pro mode lets me, but it's harder to switch back and forth between video and pro mode.